The Grumpy Grapplertag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1133419341653337732017-05-04T05:27:30-04:00TypePadFoot Locks Revisitedtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01bb0997b6ab970d2017-05-04T05:27:30-04:002017-05-04T05:28:00-04:00As readers of the blog know, I am a fan of the leg lock game. Now that my knee is heeling up a bit, I am slowly edging myself back into the waters--which is good timing, as we are finally starting to work on leg locks at the gym for...Thomas Nadelhoffer

As readers of the blog know, I am a fan of the leg lock game. Now that my knee is heeling up a bit, I am slowly edging myself back into the waters--which is good timing, as we are finally starting to work on leg locks at the gym for the first time. So, I thought I would post some videos I have found helpful in thinking about some of the basic concepts--especially the basic positions and the entries into the basic positions. The videos below should help to get you started! So, watch, learn, and go train!

Feeling Crabby?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01b8d1f9368b970c2016-06-18T06:54:12-04:002016-06-18T07:02:18-04:00A rare confession: I was a fan of pro wrestling as a kid (or wrasslin' as they say down here in the south where I grew up). Much later in life, I became interested in the historical relationship between professional wrestling and early vale tudo or no holds barred matches...Thomas Nadelhoffer

A rare confession: I was a fan of pro wrestling as a kid (or wrasslin' as they say down here in the south where I grew up). Much later in life, I became interested in the historical relationship between professional wrestling and early vale tudo or no holds barred matches involving catch wrestlers, judokas, jiu jitsukas, and other martial artists all trying to prove that their art was the best for real hand-to-hand combat. It turns out that a lot of these early matches were rigged, fixed, or thrown--including several matches by famous Gracies if Roberto Pedreira is to be the believed (see here). In short, professional wrestling has dishonest roots--but these roots are grounded in combat nonetheless. It was only later that matches in professional wrestling were viewed by the audience as purely fictive sports entertainment. But given that I was a fan of the Hulk Hogans, Ric Flairs, and Iron Shieks of the world once upon a very long time ago, I still have a lingering soft spot in my heart for techniques one can realistically do in submission grappling that are also popular "moves" in professional wrestling. A case in point: The Boston Crab (and the Half Boston Crab). So, I wanted to find some videos that might be useful. First up, Josh Barnett shows a Boston Crab from inside the triangle! Then, there are videos on how to use the Boston Crab (or Half Boston Crab) from other positions--e.g., inside the closed guard, from the blast double take down, when you bridge escape from mount, when you're standing in your O's open guard, when your O tries to roll out of a modified saddle/honey hole, etc. So, watch, learn, and go train!

Videos are below the fold!

And in case you're thinking, "Yeah, that's cool and all in principle, but it won't work in reality even if it works in professional wrestling," here is Ricardo Almeida using a modified Boston Crab against David Terrell at ADCC back in the day!

If you're still skeptical, here is the final proof that the Boston Crab works for real!

The 50/50: Neutered by the IBJJFtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01bb08c717d4970d2016-03-13T10:28:44-04:002016-03-14T07:52:00-04:00Other than the berimbolo (which Kron Gracie has called "shit"), few positions are as maligned as the 50/50--a position that "disgusts" the great Rodolfo Vieira. As readers of this blog know, I am no fan of this type of conservativism in jiu jitsu--which I think impedes progress (while at the...Thomas Nadelhoffer

Other than the berimbolo (which Kron Gracie has called "shit"), few positions are as maligned as the 50/50--a position that "disgusts" the great Rodolfo Vieira. As readers of this blog know, I am no fan of this type of conservativism in jiu jitsu--which I think impedes progress (while at the same time flying in the face of the actual history of the progression of the martial art). The most common complaints are that the 50/50 guard is (a) boring, and (b) wouldn't work in a "real" fight. So, I want to attack each claim in turn.

Is the 50/50 guard boring? Well, that depends a great deal on the context and rule set. In an ADCC match where heel hooks (both regular and reverse/inverted) are allowed, the 50/50 guard is a very dangerous position which can be quite exciting to watch. But in the IBJJFF--where heel hooks are never allowed and toe holds are only allowed at brown belt and black belt--the 50/50 guard can grind the action to a halt. Does this say anything about the position itself? No, of course not. It just shows what happens when artificial rule sets effectively neuter a position by limiting the applicable techniques.

If the IBJJF were to allow heel hooks, the 50/50 would cease being a "stalling position" and it would become an exciting position instead. If two people are forced to battle for straight ankle locks from the 50/50--which are easy to resist and hard to get--then it will indeed be a boring affair. But don't blame the position, blame the rules! To get a feel for what I am angling at here, take a look at the following 50/50 highlight from IBJJF matches:

Two things are worth pointing out: First, even with the neutered rule set, there are some exciting exchanges here--that is, the 50/50 isn't essentially boring. Second, if you pay close attention, you can see the ankles dangling in ways that open up the inverted heel hook several times. But because you are not allowed to use this technique, the competitors don't go for them even when they're opponents heels are obviously in jeopardy. Contrast this video with the following video from a NAGA event--where inverted heel hooks are allowed. The competitor who wins hits an Iminari roll to 50/50 guard to inverted heel hook. It is beautiful and exciting!

And here is a breakdown of Joao Miyao's 50/50 inverted heel hook against Ricardo Vieira at ADCC (2013):

Magically, when heel hooks are allowed, the 50/50 suddenly becomes exciting. Strange that. Here is Ryan Hall explaining how to go for heel hooks from the 50/50--which helps further highlight the fact that the position is only a boring, stalling position when you prohibit people from using the most obvious technique to use from the position!

So, I think it should already be clear that the 50/50 isn't intrinsically boring, etc. It can be boring, but only when certain rule sets are in place that eliminate the most obvious submission from the position. What about the second complaint lodged against the position--namely, that it is ineffective for self-defense?

First, I just want to point out that tons of popular techniques from sport jiu jitsu are not especially helpful from the standpoint of self-defense--the De La Riva guard, the spider guard, the lasso guard, the lapel guard, the turtle guard, and the list goes on. Yet you don't see people constantly complaining about these positions. Second, the 50/50 guard actually is an effective technique "for the streets." Here is a simple take down from a common standing position that takes you right into the 50/50--which can then be used to set up the inverted heel hook:

Notice this take down keeps your head perfectly safe with respect to touching the concrete/ground. Notice, too, that any untrained assailant in the streets will have no idea what you're doing before it's too late. All you need is a simple duck under and then you can use this take down. How do I know that untrained assailants are going to be baffled by the transition and subsequent submission? Because Ryan Hall used the 50/50 to inverted heel hook in two professional MMA fights against trained opponents:

So, there you have it folks. The case against the 50/50 is now closed. If you allow heel hooks--and why in the fuck wouldn't you among consenting adults--then it is a very effective technique that leads to one of the most effective submissions in all of grappling. So, if you don't like the 50/50 guard, blame the IBJJF and not the position itself. Then, quit your complaining and learn the position. Otherwise, you will have a huge hole in your game that the crafty grappler will easily exploit.

Dean Lister Shares Techniquetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01a3fcee9b55970b2014-04-14T08:21:41-04:002014-04-14T08:22:35-04:00This Thursday, I will be heading to San Diego to give a talk at the American Philosophical Association Pacific Meeting. While I am in San Diego, I will be honored to have the chance to attend a class and to do a private with one of my favorite grapplers--namely, Dean...Thomas Nadelhoffer

This Thursday, I will be heading to San Diego to give a talk at the American Philosophical Association Pacific Meeting. While I am in San Diego, I will be honored to have the chance to attend a class and to do a private with one of my favorite grapplers--namely, Dean Lister. Because I have been working on leg locks as of late, the timing couldn't be better. So, in anticipation of my journey to visit the Boogeyman, I thought I would post a few more videos of Dean sharing his knowledge with the masses. Once I get back to the low country next week, I will post a follow-up about my time with one of the world's masters of leg locks. Needless to say, I am excited. For now, watch these videos, learn, and go train!

More Leg Lockstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01a3fced4af8970b2014-04-12T08:42:00-04:002014-04-12T08:42:00-04:00Unfortunately, the past few weeks have been really hectic on my end as my semester winds down (and my grading duties ramp up). As a result, I haven't had time to post. Fortunately, no one really seems to be paying attention. As a result, I don't feel so bad for...Thomas Nadelhoffer

Unfortunately, the past few weeks have been really hectic on my end as my semester winds down (and my grading duties ramp up). As a result, I haven't had time to post. Fortunately, no one really seems to be paying attention. As a result, I don't feel so bad for not posting! That said, I thought I would pick up where I left off last time--namely, leg locks. After a few weeks of drilling leg locks and working on knee reaping, I am more convinced than ever that (a) truly effective leg locks involve reaping, and (b) the rules against reaping are stupid (see here for commentary on just how silly the rule has become). But since reaping isn't allowed in some contexts, it's still important to practice the non-reaping set ups for leg locks. So, for today, I am posting three videos by Erik Paulson along with one of Jason Scully's super helpful videos--47 leg lock techniques in 4 minutes! As always, watch, learn, and go train!

Reaping What You Sowtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01a73d9941f3970d2014-03-25T09:44:02-04:002014-03-25T10:26:41-04:00One of the most noteworthy oddities of BJJ is the negative (and even dismissive) attitude that traditional instructors and practioneers have taken towards leg locks. Unlike the close cousins of BJJ like Sambo, submission grappling, and catch wrestling--which are martial arts that often focus more on leg locks than upper...Thomas Nadelhoffer

One of the most noteworthy oddities of BJJ is the negative (and even dismissive) attitude that traditional instructors and practioneers have taken towards leg locks. Unlike the close cousins of BJJ like Sambo, submission grappling, and catch wrestling--which are martial arts that often focus more on leg locks than upper body attacks--BJJ has traditionally been an art more focused on chokes and arm/shoulder locks. That's fine as far as it goes, of course, but it leaves a glaring hole in the game of a number of BJJ pracitioneers. Not only are some leg lock techniques off limits for certain BJJ belt levels--e.g., beginners are not allowed to use toe holds, knee bars, or calf slicers--but arguably the most effective leg locks of all--namely, the heel hooks--are off limits to all competitors in the IBJJF and in other BJJ competitions. Stranger still, the most effective means of securing the position for many of the leg locks--namely, the knee "reap"--is similarly forbidden such that even an accidental reap will get a black belt disqualified!

I, for one, think the traditional attitude in BJJ towards leg locks more generally and heel hooks and reaping more specifically is completely misguided. And while "safety" is often cited as the reason for the rule that prohibits reaping, I have never seen any real data that support the contention that reaping is any less safe than non-reaping versions of the leg attacks. Indeed, I think the case could be made that reaping is even safer since, when done properly, it prevents one's opponent from trying to roll out of the leg lock--which is one of the most common ways that people hurt themselves when they've been caught in a leg lock. Moreover, given how prevalent that reaping is in Sambo and catch wrestling, in order for the "reaping is dangerous" argument to be persuasive, one would need comparative data that knee injuries were more prevalent in these two grappling arts than in BJJ. Here again, there is a dearth of data. So, I remain skeptical.

However, rather than speculating concerning the real reasoning behind the odd stance BJJ has adopted towards leg lock techniques such as reaping and heel hooking--which is a post for another day--I am simply going to assume that any BJJ pracitioneer should want to be as well-rounded as possible. Given that being well-rounded requires that one be familiar with even the techniques that have traditionally been frowned up (or even forbidden) by BJJ traditionalists, I am going to dedicate several posts to leg lock attacks--with a focus on techniques involving the (unduly) dreaded knee reap.

For today's post, I have included three videos. In the first video, the head official for the IBJJF (Gracie Barra's Marcelo Ribeiro) explains the rules pertaining to the knee reap (after all, if you're competing in the IBJJF, you'll have to follow their rules no matter how unnecessary or misguided you think they are). In the second video, you'll find a great interview between Budo Jake and Stephen Koepfer (who is one of the top Sambo practioneers in the US). Finally, in the third video, one of the true masters of leg locks--ADCC champion Dean Lister--shows several reap positions that you should consider adding to your own game. So, watch, learn, and go train!

Here's to You, Mr. Robinson (Part 2)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a01901e204628970b01a5117dcad3970c2014-03-06T11:12:01-05:002014-03-06T11:12:01-05:00Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of instructional video by Billy Robinson online. Making matters worse still, nearly all of what is available is provided by the CACC guys from Mushin Self-Defense in Utah (who are a bit too goofy for my tastes). But no matter what you think about some...Thomas Nadelhoffer

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of instructional video by Billy Robinson online. Making matters worse still, nearly all of what is available is provided by the CACC guys from Mushin Self-Defense in Utah (who are a bit too goofy for my tastes). But no matter what you think about some of Robinson's accolytes, he provides some nice details in the videos that have been preserved. One of the things that constantly amazes me when watching Robinson is just how big his hands are--it's no wonder he's good at submission grapplier/scientific wrestling. How on earth did anyone break his grips (when the matches weren't fixed, of course)?! That said, I have posted two videos. In the first, Robinson shows the infamous "gravit face lock"--which is a nasty cousin to the standing guillotine choke. In the second, Robinson shows his students how to do Frank Gotch's foot lock/toe hold from top turtle position. So, watch, learn, and go train.